Iron Man: Allusions, Effects, and Story

Abstract

I reflect on my initial impressions of the 2008 Iron Man
movie.

I just got back from seeing Iron
Man, and I am reveling in that lingering geeky thrill after
experiencing something that clicks with me on a number of levels. I see the
credits roll up, and I note that Adi Granov is
listed for suit design. I am not surprised, but pleased at the justice of
the choices made in making this movie. Of course it's Granov's form that was
chosen to augment Downey Jr.'s Tony Stark into Iron Man. Adi
does beautiful work, and the choice helps to directly bridge the gap between
Iron Man origins and recent comic storytelling. I had to take the
opportunity to point this out to a young person sitting next to me and his
father. I only wished I could have had one of Adi's issues with me, so that
I could have provided a direct link, an immediate comparison. I won't make
that mistake the next time. And there will most certainly be a next
time.

I don't think there is any denying that part of the thrill of the good
comic movie is derived from positive ties to preconceptions that the
audience brings with them. Like it or not, the viewer brings her own views
on the characters and their history, as filtered through the lens of so many
artists and writers. Iron Man does a great job of attaching seamlessly to
the comic lore. I greatly enjoyed these, and others: Rhodes' reaction to the
alpha suit; the HUD; the occasional references to the Strategic Homeland
Intervention, Engagement and Logistics Division and eventually its acronym.
The movie even engages the audience in anticipating a few allusions only to
categorically reject them, to good effect. These kinds of touches just add
to the sense that the viewer is part of the movie experience, and the effect
is enhanced because the movie does not dwell on them, but just allows them
to happen.

I don't think I really need to say anything about the special effects.
They are beautiful; even the characters display an
innocent level of wonder at Tony Stark's invention, which draws laughter and
applause from the audience and just draws us in further. And while Stark is
many things in the movie, many of those being self-destructive, he finds the
most joy as an inventor, and I rejoiced at watching him invent. I came away
from the movie feeling charged, motivated to participate more in the world
around me. I always want to become more of a creator, even if now that
happens to manifest in writing about the movie that I find so
encouraging.